This Present Disclosure generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to an electrical switch connector assembly incorporating a switch to electrically and mechanically connect and disconnect a mating electrical device while maintaining a closed electrical circuit continuously through the connector assembly.
Electrical power is supplied to an individual site by external electrical power line conductors located above or below ground. In a conventional arrangement, electrical power line conductors and electrical load conductors are connected directly to contacts in a watt-hour meter mounted on a building wall. The watt-hour meter is used to measure the electric power drawn through the circuit.
These meters must be removed periodically for servicing, calibration or replacement. Since the meter is connected to the circuit in series, the removal of the meter will open the circuit. In order to avoid such an open circuit condition after the meter is removed, the input and output electrical conductors to and from the meter must be shorted.
A number of methods exist to create this short circuit. Two such methods require the skill of an electrical technician. In one instance, the technician is required to place jumper wires between the input and output conductors. In another instance, the technician uses a separate device that connects to all of the input and output conductors at the same time.
Still another method includes the use of a non-conductive blade inserted between input and output and shorting terminals. When the blade is inserted, the shorting arms are moved out of engagement with the input and output terminals allowing current to flow through the meter. When the blade is removed from between the terminals, the shorting terminals engage respective input and output terminals creating the short that will allow the meter to be removed without opening the circuit. This method works well but there is no provision for wiping the terminals to remove any non-conductive material on the contact surfaces. Also to allow for relatively easy insertion and removal of the non-conductive blade, the spring force in the shorting terminals cannot be too great. If there is any non-conductive material build-up on the contact surfaces, the spring force may not be great enough to force the shorting terminal through the build up resulting in an incomplete or even non-existent electrical connection. Also with a blade there is an extra part that can be lost and there still must be a separate feature that locks the meter with the connector.
A final method includes a projection on the meter that acts like the blade method described above. Although the projection is part of the meter and does not require a separate part that can get lost, there still must be a separate feature that locks the meter with the connector.
These prior art methods are expensive since in some cases an expensive technician must be employed or in other instances the meter is more complicated requiring extra parts. Also a consistent electrical contact is not always ensured since the contacting surfaces of the mating switch terminals don't provide any wiping that can remove any non-conductive build up on the mating surfaces of the terminals. Also some of these methods allow the terminals to be exposed to the weather and are also capable of accidental or unintentional contact by testing personnel or other personnel unaware of the exposed electrical potential.